By Mayank Chhaya-
Even as his much-anticipated interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News did not do much to turn the tide away from him, President Joe Biden has now forcefully declared that those Democrats seeking to oust him as the party’s candidate should challenge him at the party’s convention in Chicago.
“If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me,” Biden said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and then added for good measure, “Go ahead, announce for president. Challenge me at the convention.”
This is by far the most aggressive he has been ever since the clamor within the Democratic Party started building up against his candidacy in the immediate aftermath of his disastrous performance in the first debate with former President Donald Trump on CNN last month.
This is notwithstanding that his flubs while interacting with the media or at public events have continued unabated. For instance, the president said he is the ‘first Black woman’ to serve as vice-president ‘with a Black president’, during an interview with Philadelphia’s WURD radio station.
What is remarkable is that for a president whose legislative accomplishments in facilitating greater investments in infrastructure, advanced technology and green energy have been impressive he has been unable to come out swinging against a rival who is a convicted felon, 34 times over. It is an objective fact that the United States under his leadership has been the best-performing economy in the Western industrialized world whose growth has been described by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as “remarkable vis-à-vis its peers.” With so much to ride on it is quite baffling that Biden has not been able to make his case with any discernible edge over former President Donald Trump.
Age-related vagaries have become increasingly evident in the 81-year-old Biden, including his often-feeble voice that trails off with words making it difficult for his interlocutors to understand him instantly. Many Democrats have begun to fear a defeat not just for the president but even down-ballot Congressional candidates.
What may be awkward for Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris is that many in their party have increasingly projected her as the best alternative to him just barely five months before the election. For Harris, it is a particularly delicate matter being talked about by many of her colleagues as their preferred choice even as they pressure the president to step aside.
However, going by his latest assertions as of now it is unlikely that he will withdraw from the race. On the face of it, this has become a matter of personal prestige for him, and it is apparent that he does not want to be remembered by posterity as someone who yielded to pressure from party donors and other outsiders despite his obvious accomplishments.
Unfortunately for him, he has not been able to regain confidence post-debate as to whether that debacle was a one-off failure or indicative of a deeper cognitive condition.
There are clear signs both among Democratic Senators and Representatives that many of them have become seriously doubtful about his ability to beat Trump.
It is an exceptional situation that an incumbent president with a generally sound legislative and economic record is facing the prospect of defeat at the hands of someone who is not just a convicted felon facing other multiple indictments but also someone routinely described as among the worst presidents in U.S. history an existential threat to the country’s democracy.
About a week before the Republican party’s national convention on July 15, where Trump will be anointed as their nominee, Biden has said he plans to go on “attack, attack, attack, attack.” His own party’s national convention is scheduled for August 19 in Chicago.
With over a month to go for the Democratic national convention the atmosphere within the party is one of anxiousness about Biden. Starting on Tuesday the president will be busy in the three-day 75th NATO summit in Washington. Interestingly, even within the NATO countries, there are concerns about the possible return of Trump who has been openly contemptuous of the alliance. NATO member countries have also been monitoring the developments in the U.S. It may not be surprising if some of them obliquely ask Biden or his aides about his prospects.
